Who owns an Outback Hat?

[Riot Earp]

I just ordered an Outback 'Leather Kodiak' hat and am wondering who else owns an Outback. Many of their hats are made of oil skin (oil cloth), but the Leather Kodiak is made of pigskin. It has a distressed look that I like and should easily handle the cold New York rain (like we had today).

I have a 50% beaver hat but it soaks up water like a sponge. If I had worn it to the three soccer games I attended today, I would have looked like Jed Clampett by the third game.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Hello, Riot.

Well, I have these and they do make good rain hats, as well as a couple of other leather hats I've got in a more Trilby style, I'd call 'em, and one which is a newsboy style.

This one's made of kangaroo leather. Ugly but effective. This one's got some miles on it. Best backpacking hat I've got since it wads up easy and the back of the brim is flexible and drooped so it doesn't interfere with a high pack. The stampede string is a plus too when I'm in the Wind River Range in the Rockies.

This leather hat is by Minnetonka and inside is printed "Outback" so I guess that makes it so. [huh] Also an old friend which has been all over the country with me.

That's a mini harmonica charm hangin' off the back of the band.

And this is a black version of the tan one. I never really warmed up to this hat but I bet it'd keep the rain off all day long.

 

[Riot Earp]

Kangaroo leather hats are cool.

The only drawback is, you need stampede strings because they tend to hop off. lol

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

lol lol

So THAT'S what that's really for.

lol lol

 

[Riot Earp]

Do you treat the leather with anything? I was thinking of using neatsfoot oil and/or some type of proofing wax, like they use on oil cloth.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I have these too. Kinda' forgot about them when I was thinking of the leather ones, but they are Outbackish, no?

Broner wool hat:

Akubra Snowy River:

 

[rrog]

I've got the oilskin Kodiak. It's a super rain hat. I've had it for over ten years and just last spring I applied some kind of refinisher to it (can't recall the name). And man, did that oilskin hat ever smell like oil. Literally, it smelled like petroleum. But after a time or two in the rain the smell went away.

A quick story to let you know how water proof these things are. One of my trees got blown over and it was in the road, so I was out cutting it down in the rain. It took a couple hours. Of course with a chainsaw, saw dust, bark and all kinds of chips and stuff were being thrown all over me. I had on my oilskin jacket and hat. When I got finished, I simply sprayed it off with a water hose and let it dry. It looked as good as new. Same for the hat. They really work.

rrog

 

[NonEntity]

I personally loathe leather hats because they are very heavy, make my head sweat no matter what the weather, and any kind of headgear constructed of animal hide just seems wrong.

But everyone likes something different, so if you like 'em, fine.

Having said that about hats, you may be surprised that I am a bit of a leather freak and actually love the stuff in many other forms. I'm a Ghurka Leather collector, have half a closet full of leather jackets, own over 25 pairs of leather shoes and boots, and too many leather belts, waist packs, and other accoutrements to count.

That's why I know a lot about leather care and can recommend Pecard Leather Dressing--it's what leather collectors and museum conservators use.

As for cotton oilskin cloth, to re-waterproof it, among the best products is Filson Oil Finish Wax, a paste wax compound. The downside to this kind of cloth is that it can never be washed or laundered with soap or detergent or dry cleaned, and the tacky nature of it means it gets dirty very quickly. So you just have to accept that and only lightly brush soiled areas with cool water and wipe before re-proofing.

 

[Riot Earp]

I really fell in love with this one and ordered it. It's also an Outback, and is called the Trapper. I ordered it in dark brown. It has a Western look and has a wider, 3 1/2" brim.

 

[indycop]

I guess this is an outback style. Cleaning up drywall dust from my tear down the kitchen wall project....

I got this courtesy of RBH!

 

[WildCelt]

That's a mini harmonica charm hangin' off the back of the band.

I've got one just like that; it came with my copy of Aerosmith's "Honkin' on Bobo" (their blues album).